City Manager Miguel Márquez said on Monday that 17,711 people received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Payments in September.
The numbers were announced at the end of the City Council meeting. Assistance could be severely limited or ended next month due to the ongoing government shutdown.
The federal government shut down on October 1 as a result of congressional failure to pass appropriations legislation for the 2026 fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1.
Many seniors in the City receive Meals on Wheels which is federally funded.
“We’re not talking about a shopping list of groceries,” said Mayor Victor Gordo. “We’re talking about whether they have breakfast, lunch or dinner tomorrow.”
The city leaders have invited nonprofit directors, faith organizations, community-based groups, and philanthropic partners to a special meeting from 9 to 10 a.m. on October 29, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 100 N. Garfield Ave., or online at www.cityofpasadena.net/cczoom.
“There’s a lot of people that are struggling just with the cost of food rising and JPL just laid off 600 employees,” said Councilmember Justin Jones. “And there’s a lot of folks in the district that I represent that are transitioning between jobs. And so food is of the essence. It’s an essential need. And so I think even determining, developing a long-term strategy to ensure that our food pantries are well stocked, and then also as the government shutdown could proceed, we may be looking at Section 8 being halted. A lot of district three residents have Section 8. I understand the city doesn’t have the financial capacity to replace Section eight, but just thinking through these things. So we’re there for our residents.”
Other council members said they supported the call to action Jones and Mayor Gordo put out in a joint statement on Monday.
“Now is the time to collaborate, to share ideas, pool resources, and coordinate our efforts so that we’re ready to meet this challenge head-on,” the joint statement by Jones and Gordo reads. “Pasadena has always been a city that steps up when our neighbors are in need.”
That call to action was sent to more than 200 community partners.
The crisis comes as local food pantries continue to face hard times.
Food pantries across Pasadena are confronting a compounding crisis as federal SNAP benefits face suspension November 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown, threatening to overwhelm organizations already struggling with unprecedented recent demand, dwindling donations, and depleted resources.
Friends In Deed Food Pantry reports it is “already experiencing more demand than at any previous point in the program’s history,” serving over 800 households last week compared to an average of 605 from the previous year, according to Ryan Greer, vice president of programs.
October 29, 9 to 10 a.m. City Hall Council Chambers, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena. Visit www.cityofpasadena.net/cczoom.
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